Xenophon223
Explorer
This is a super fun topic. Let's see if I can keep the list reaonsable:
Literature:
Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and Mouser Books: These are my absolute favorites. The combination of swashbuckling fun and weird world building is my favortie kind of fantasy
Neil Gaiman's Sandman Comics: The world building is exquisite as well as the deep ideas explored
Joe Abercrombie's works: I love Leiber, but no one writes characters as well as Abercrombie. He has written the best Wizard and the best Berserker in fantasy as far as I'm concerned. The world of the Fist Law is great and realistic while still feeling fanatastical and wonderous.
Patrick O'Brien's Aubery and Maturin books: If you've seen Master and Commander and liked it you should read the books. They are the perfect combination and over the top action and detailed slice of life. Even though they are historical fiction they do more world building that many fantasy books.
The Lovecraft Mythos, various authors: I love weird Far Realms stuff and nothing is better for really scaring the poop out of the PC's
Game Material:
Ed Greenwoods Volo's Guides: I love minutiae. What shop is on what street? What is the best dish at that inn? What cheese is that town famous for? Ed does that better than everyone.
Second Edition Planescape: The setting is so cool and and it embodies meta ideas behind what is happening. It also is filled with memorable and unique characters.
7th Sea: I've never run the system, but man it has really cool ideas to steal for D&D. The second edition books are also gorgeous.
Movies and TV:
The Three Musketeers (1973/74), (1993) and The Musketeers (BBC 2014-16): Buckles must swash in D&D. I love running a free wheeling game with outrageous duels, romance and dashing. The Three Musketeers are the epitome of swords and heroism for me ans these three versions are what I try to emmulate in my games.
Bleach: Intelligent swords and everyone having a unique figthing style? Yes please! Anime has it's own style of swashbucking and no one does over the top sword duels like Bleach.
The Legend of Vox Machina: It's animated D&D! This is how I always pictured D&D to look like, appareantly the CR gang did too.
Pirates of the Carribean (The first movie): Once again peak swashbuckling and excelelnt characters.
Black Sails: Pirates done really well. Complicated politics and everyone kind of sucks. Very memorable characters though.
Master and Commander: See above
Video Games:
The Elder Scoll Series, Fallout Series, and Dragon Age Series: I steal adventure ideas from these constantly. Video game designers know how to write a tight adventure.
Music:
Power Metal like Gloryhammer, Windrose, Powerwolf, etc: Not only do I listen to these while I prep adventures, the bands make random appearances in game. These are the modern soundtrack to D&D
Prog Rock like King Crimson, Yes and Jethro Tull: I wrote a whole adventure around the Court of the Crimson King. These are also great to listen to while I write.
I'm sure I've forgotten so many things, but these are all part of my own personal appendix N.
Literature:
Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and Mouser Books: These are my absolute favorites. The combination of swashbuckling fun and weird world building is my favortie kind of fantasy
Neil Gaiman's Sandman Comics: The world building is exquisite as well as the deep ideas explored
Joe Abercrombie's works: I love Leiber, but no one writes characters as well as Abercrombie. He has written the best Wizard and the best Berserker in fantasy as far as I'm concerned. The world of the Fist Law is great and realistic while still feeling fanatastical and wonderous.
Patrick O'Brien's Aubery and Maturin books: If you've seen Master and Commander and liked it you should read the books. They are the perfect combination and over the top action and detailed slice of life. Even though they are historical fiction they do more world building that many fantasy books.
The Lovecraft Mythos, various authors: I love weird Far Realms stuff and nothing is better for really scaring the poop out of the PC's
Game Material:
Ed Greenwoods Volo's Guides: I love minutiae. What shop is on what street? What is the best dish at that inn? What cheese is that town famous for? Ed does that better than everyone.
Second Edition Planescape: The setting is so cool and and it embodies meta ideas behind what is happening. It also is filled with memorable and unique characters.
7th Sea: I've never run the system, but man it has really cool ideas to steal for D&D. The second edition books are also gorgeous.
Movies and TV:
The Three Musketeers (1973/74), (1993) and The Musketeers (BBC 2014-16): Buckles must swash in D&D. I love running a free wheeling game with outrageous duels, romance and dashing. The Three Musketeers are the epitome of swords and heroism for me ans these three versions are what I try to emmulate in my games.
Bleach: Intelligent swords and everyone having a unique figthing style? Yes please! Anime has it's own style of swashbucking and no one does over the top sword duels like Bleach.
The Legend of Vox Machina: It's animated D&D! This is how I always pictured D&D to look like, appareantly the CR gang did too.
Pirates of the Carribean (The first movie): Once again peak swashbuckling and excelelnt characters.
Black Sails: Pirates done really well. Complicated politics and everyone kind of sucks. Very memorable characters though.
Master and Commander: See above
Video Games:
The Elder Scoll Series, Fallout Series, and Dragon Age Series: I steal adventure ideas from these constantly. Video game designers know how to write a tight adventure.
Music:
Power Metal like Gloryhammer, Windrose, Powerwolf, etc: Not only do I listen to these while I prep adventures, the bands make random appearances in game. These are the modern soundtrack to D&D
Prog Rock like King Crimson, Yes and Jethro Tull: I wrote a whole adventure around the Court of the Crimson King. These are also great to listen to while I write.
I'm sure I've forgotten so many things, but these are all part of my own personal appendix N.